April Fools'Day is the time to play tricks on your friends. But these days there is an online solution for everything, so if you are stuck for ideas just skip to an online shopping site and get them to deliver a trick to your door. This year's gags, say the pundits, have been less gross (and frankly dangerous) than those available in previous years, but they are still not entirely harmless.
Online shopping websites offered hundreds of gags for sale in the run up to April Fools' Day this year. Some websites set up special sections with names like "Hoax King", "The People's Jokes", and "Share a Gag."
One popular gag is the so-called crazy egg that begins to shake and jump around when exposed to light. Pop one in your friend's fridge and watch their reaction when they open the door. A trick kaleidoscope is another favorite. Let people try it out and they will come away with panda style black eyes. The "intelligent alarm clock" won't stop ringing until you pick it up thirty times. Be careful with that one, your friends may not get the joke.
Toys and gags brighten up life in these tough economic times, but remember not to overdo it and to play safely out there, kids.
(China.org.cn Dong Qingpei April 1, 2009)